Very often we hear people around us talking about losing weight and how certain kinds of food can cause us to put on unwanted pounds. You will also realise that the top choice of such food are those that are deemed carbo-loaded such as your white bread, pasta and white rice. “Stay away from as much carbs as you can when you are trying to lose weight. Carbs are bad for you.”
Are they really?
I beg to differ. While I agree that with our predominantly sedentary office lifestyle, consuming too much carbs may not be a good idea for both our health and our weight, they should not be entirely left out of our diets.
You see, carbs give us the energy we require to kickstart our day. Our body and brain needs good carbs to start the day right and with enough energy to last us through before we finally hit the sack for the day.
So are carbs good or bad?
The interesting thing about carbs is that while it may not be entirely beneficial for us with our highly sedentary lifestyles, we still require a certain amount of the healthier versions to keep our bodies going.
If you are one of those who diligently exercise, a bowl of noodles at lunch and palm full of rice at dinner isn’t going to cause you a lot of harm in the weight department, seriously.
What are good carbs? Are they okay for those looking to lose weight?
Good carbs include food items like brown rice, whole meal bread and whole meal pasta. Some people have even opted to go organic whole meal just to ensure they are only getting the good stuff and none of the unnecessary calories that come with the (alas!), yummier white version.
And such good carbs are definitely good for those who are looking to lose those extra pounds. While you get the required nutrients your body needs, you are also steering clear of the sugars and fat that are not required that are found in their white relatives.
Is there a good time to consume carbs?
And of course if you can help it at all, have your carbs for breakfast to ensure they are burnt off by the time your workday ends. If you can’t help it, a good palm sized portion is still okay for lunch. It’s best to steer clear of any for dinner if you are really trying to lose weight and if you don’t plan to exercise.
At the end of the day, it’s best to combine a healthy portion of carbs with a good amount of exercise to ensure you get the best results. Don’t ever starve your body as doing so will only cause your body to store fat as it does not know when it’s next intake of food will be. If you must, have small and healthy meals throughout the day, coupled with at least 45 minutes to an hour of exercise at least three to four times per week and you should see your body looking awesome in a few weeks.
